# Shockingly Ugly Public Art **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [November 14, 2008, 11:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shockingly-ugly-public-art/472789 "2008-11-14T23:57:39Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![An\_Gadai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d6d6ee/32.png) [@An\_Gadai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Gadai)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2008, 1:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shockingly-ugly-public-art/472789/21 "2008-11-15T01:38:33Z")
The [Free Stamp](http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1398/770416963_3cd21b0c81.jpg) in Cleveland, OH has a bad rep too. ---
**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2008, 2:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shockingly-ugly-public-art/472789/22 "2008-11-15T02:38:19Z")
Isn’t there some monument in St. Petersburg that’s so reviled and ugly they have to guard it against protesting artists? ---
**Author:** ![spoike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/da6949/32.png) [@spoike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/spoike)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2008, 3:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shockingly-ugly-public-art/472789/23 "2008-11-15T03:12:03Z")
> [@T\_SQUARE](#): > > Dude, I thought you hacked my hard drive and stole my picture for a second there. I’ve seen that, in Prague or Budapest, I’ll have to look up which. I think it’s just in some random building, right? I recall roaming around and seeing that thing and freaking out for a minute. Also, I may have been drunk on absinthe. It’s apparently in a Prague shopping mall, of all places, and it’s a homage/parody of the eponymous statue in the Square of St. Wenceslas. It’s by [David Czerny](http://www.davidcerny.cz/start.html) (Warning: sound, some video, and some NSFW), a Czech artist whose name has come up here before. He’s especially known for creating the decorating the [Zizkov Tower](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C5%BDi%C5%BEkov_Television_Tower) with giant crawling bronze babies. > [@St.Urho](#): > > Yeah, but then you end up with [this horse](http://www.roadsideamerica.com/tip/18460). It’s at Denver International Airport- glowing red eyes and all! Good lord, that horse [killed its sculptor](http://www.nytimes.com/2006/06/15/arts/design/15jimenez.html). It doesn’t just look evil, it _is_ evil! ---
**Author:** ![gallows\_fodder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/8c91f0/32.png) [@gallows\_fodder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gallows_fodder)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2008, 3:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shockingly-ugly-public-art/472789/24 "2008-11-15T03:19:53Z")
> [@wheresgeorge04](#): > > Anyone know the story behind [this](http://farm1.static.flickr.com/26/44616925_114a12788a.jpg)? > > Joe Holy shit, that is AWESOME. Philadelphians, don’t lynch me, but I’ve long harbored a loathing for [this](http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3237/2721598035_5feaa42ab8.jpg?v=0). ---
**Author:** ![Springtime\_for\_Spacers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Springtime\_for\_Spacers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Springtime_for_Spacers)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2008, 3:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shockingly-ugly-public-art/472789/25 "2008-11-15T03:25:37Z")
> [@T\_SQUARE](#): > > I’ve always hated Denver’s Dancing Aliens: > > [http://lojjic.net/gallery/1000words/20031012-dancing-naked-aliens.jpg](http://lojjic.net/gallery/1000words/20031012-dancing-naked-aliens.jpg) > > Whatever happened to a statue of a guy riding a horse? They do have distressing buttocks don’t they? ---
**Author:** ![spoike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/da6949/32.png) [@spoike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/spoike)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2008, 3:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shockingly-ugly-public-art/472789/26 "2008-11-15T03:40:28Z")
> [@wheresgeorge04](#): > > Anyone know the story behind [this](http://farm1.static.flickr.com/26/44616925_114a12788a.jpg)? > > Joe As a result of some convoluted googling, I’ve discovered it’s a bronze sculpture commonly called “Man Attacked by Babies” by Gustave Vigeland, and it’s in [Vigeland Park](Gustav Vigeland) in Oslo. The park features 212 sculptures, some of which are a little bizarre, regarding the human condition. I’m sorry I can’t give you more of the story, but I’ve never been to Norway, and I don’t speak Norwegian. If someone does, this [website](http://verhalen.reisblog.com/archives/5-Vigeland-Park-Oslo-Noorwegen.html) might have more information. One more interesting thing: In March 2007, a vandal covered all the exposed nipples, genitalia, and buttocks on the sculptures in the park with black strips of paper. ---
**Author:** ![cormac262](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f14d63/32.png) [@cormac262](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cormac262)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2008, 3:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shockingly-ugly-public-art/472789/27 "2008-11-15T03:41:54Z")
> [@Zsofia](#): > > Well, everybody here in town hates [the world’s largest fire hydrant.](http://www.roadsideamerica.com/tip/4453) I don’t despise it as much as many do, but I don’t particularly care for it. Especially since the city probably paid a few million of my tax dollars for it. Oh man ! That thing is just waiting for the world’s largest dog… ---
**Author:** ![Avarie537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/48db29/32.png) [@Avarie537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Avarie537)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2008, 3:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shockingly-ugly-public-art/472789/28 "2008-11-15T03:51:48Z")
How about the art installations in downtown Indy made of recycled tires? [Blech.](http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3022/2699666103_90979bca48.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.flickr.com/photos/netmonkey/2699666103/&usg=__xsq1GBvuIn7s0E6gnm8E9x8iltY=&h=500&w=355&sz=173&hl=en&start=6&um=1&tbnid=QAsSOT8t3Myw0M:&tbnh=130&tbnw=92&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dindianapolis%2Brecycled%2Btire%2Bart%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26safe%3Doff%26rls%3Dcom.microsoft:en-us%26sa%3DN) ---
**Author:** ![Lamia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Lamia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamia)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2008, 3:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shockingly-ugly-public-art/472789/29 "2008-11-15T03:57:47Z")
The statue outside Camp Randall Stadium at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. The title is “Nail’s Tails” (really), and it’s usually described as resembling a pile of turds or a diseased penis. It’s supposed to be an obelisk that’s decayed, revealing a core made of footballs (again, really). The best photo I could find was on Flickr: > **[Tower of touchdowns](https://flickr.com/photos/drexler/2192927209/)** > > Pigskin pylon, Football phallus, Obelisk of oblate spheroids... Make up your own name for this ugly sculpture. IIRC this monstrosity cost several hundred thousand dollars. ---
**Author:** ![An\_Gadai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d6d6ee/32.png) [@An\_Gadai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Gadai)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2008, 4:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shockingly-ugly-public-art/472789/30 "2008-11-15T04:11:09Z")
> [@Avarie537](#): > > How about the art installations in downtown Indy made of recycled tires? [Blech.](http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3022/2699666103_90979bca48.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.flickr.com/photos/netmonkey/2699666103/&usg=__xsq1GBvuIn7s0E6gnm8E9x8iltY=&h=500&w=355&sz=173&hl=en&start=6&um=1&tbnid=QAsSOT8t3Myw0M:&tbnh=130&tbnw=92&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dindianapolis%2Brecycled%2Btire%2Bart%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26safe%3Doff%26rls%3Dcom.microsoft:en-us%26sa%3DN) It looks like something from a BDSM dungeon. ---
**Author:** ![Stauderhorse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ce7236/32.png) [@Stauderhorse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stauderhorse)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2008, 4:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shockingly-ugly-public-art/472789/31 "2008-11-15T04:32:09Z")
There was the creepy-as-hell [George Washington](http://www.mlahanas.de/Greeks/Fashion/Washington.jpg) statue, though it’s not really public anymore. ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2008, 4:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shockingly-ugly-public-art/472789/32 "2008-11-15T04:51:57Z")
As ordinary or annoying as some of the abstract public sculptures are, we need to realize it could be worse - cities could be spending money on giant versions of stuff like [this](http://www.largeart.com/detail.aspx?ID=149). ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Klutz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/captain_klutz/32/4993_2.png) [@Captain\_Klutz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Klutz)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2008, 6:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shockingly-ugly-public-art/472789/33 "2008-11-15T06:41:35Z")
First off, thanks **spoike** , for that wonderful link! For ugly artworks, I present a pile of twisted metal called [Rhizome](http://artwranglers.com.au/2007/12/) (scroll down a few screens). Here it is from [another angle](http://www.abc.net.au/local/stories/2008/10/08/2385080.htm). Not quite ugly, more “Huh?”, is Carl Andre’s work. For example, his [“pile of bricks”](http://www.martinries.com/article1991CA.htm). He has [lots more](http://www.acegallery.net/artistmenu.php?pageNum_ACE=0&totalRows_ACE=113&Artist=40). ---
**Author:** ![SmartAleq](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smartaleq/32/163_2.png) [@SmartAleq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SmartAleq)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2008, 7:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shockingly-ugly-public-art/472789/34 "2008-11-15T07:06:53Z")
Is there something wrong with me that I find most of this stuff to be really cool? I like big weird art, especially things that are blown up really huge. I loved the guy being attacked by babies, that’s so creepy/funny! Heck, I even like the [Indo Arch](http://lh4.ggpht.com/_1YIPZ78LPn0/SH_jYnCWHPI/AAAAAAAAAME/ZNhAgcRAHbY/SSCN0746.JPG) in Sacramento, and most people want the thing hauled off for scrap… The Rhizome one just sucks, though. The Tower o’Turds and the Panamanian fountain are pretty horrible also–but most of the rest of this stuff is fairly awesome… ---
**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2008, 7:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shockingly-ugly-public-art/472789/35 "2008-11-15T07:41:29Z")
I can’t help but rate public art based on the price. We had a wall at college that consisted of a black background and 4 large geometric figures done in charcoal gray. It was OK as art goes but the money involve was not. It was $20 of paint and 4 primary forms. If an art student got $500 for painting it I would love it. Such was not the case. One of the city buildings in my town has a series of curved neon lights on it. $300 of material and a random pattern of arches on a wall. Again, if the city paid $10,000 I would have liked it (or at least not hated the money spent on it). Once the price tag goes up and it is taxpayer money then I would expect public input. ---
**Author:** ![Nicolas\_Bourbaki](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ecc23a/32.png) [@Nicolas\_Bourbaki](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nicolas_Bourbaki)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2008, 9:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shockingly-ugly-public-art/472789/36 "2008-11-15T09:18:11Z")
Put me down for another satisfying threadshit; I liked quite a few of these. the only ones I actually had a negative reaction to were the “If we don’t use the entire public art budget by November we won’t get as much money next year so let’s hire some hack to weld pieces of metal together in a noncontroversial fashion” sculptures. ---
**Author:** ![Galwegian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/galwegian/32/3426_2.png) [@Galwegian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Galwegian)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2008, 9:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shockingly-ugly-public-art/472789/37 "2008-11-15T09:59:11Z")
This [thing](http://www.castlebar.ie/education/ballindine-ns/Images/locality/sculpture.jpg) is 30 feet tall, and is in Ballindine, a little village close to where I live. It’s supposed to be two arms playing an accordeon, and bizarrely, it commemmorates the founder of the Disabled Drivers Association, who apparently played the melodeon. It’s such a monstrosity that there was a concerted campaign to have it removed by the villagers. In the end, it was quietly moved from the centre of the village to the side of the road just outside town. The local kids use it as a climbing frame! ---
**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2008, 2:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shockingly-ugly-public-art/472789/38 "2008-11-15T14:24:23Z")
> [@Magiver](#): > > I can’t help but rate public art based on the price. We had a wall at college that consisted of a black background and 4 large geometric figures done in charcoal gray. It was OK as art goes but the money involve was not. It was $20 of paint and 4 primary forms. If an art student got $500 for painting it I would love it. Such was not the case. > > One of the city buildings in my town has a series of curved neon lights on it. $300 of material and a random pattern of arches on a wall. Again, if the city paid $10,000 I would have liked it (or at least not hated the money spent on it). > > Once the price tag goes up and it is taxpayer money then I would expect public input. I recall reading somewhere a long list of MIT “hacks” (I think it was MIT) over the evolving ugliness of some sort of indoor public art there, and how much it was costing (as in many places, building funds had to include some percentage for “the arts”.) And I love the guy being attacked by babies. I was once in, I think, Stockholm? Some big European city. Anyway, there were these cranes near the docks that were on some sort of never-ending building project, but they’d done them up as giraffes since everybody had gotten tired of looking at them. I loved that! ---
**Author:** ![KRC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/45deac/32.png) [@KRC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KRC)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2008, 2:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shockingly-ugly-public-art/472789/39 "2008-11-15T14:29:24Z")
I like the giant fire plug and I’d gladly trade it for UNM’s ugly hunk of concrete, The Center of the Universe. [![](https://farm1.static.flickr.com/108/306014619_b6e3fe3953.jpg?v=0) ](https://farm1.static.flickr.com/108/306014619_b6e3fe3953.jpg?v=0) It might be a handy place to take shelter during the tornado season. ---
**Author:** ![NoCoolUserName](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/5fc32e/32.png) [@NoCoolUserName](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NoCoolUserName)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2008, 2:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shockingly-ugly-public-art/472789/40 "2008-11-15T14:32:15Z")
> [@spoike](#): > > Good lord, that horse [killed its sculptor](http://www.nytimes.com/2006/06/15/arts/design/15jimenez.html). It doesn’t just look evil, it _is_ evil! “Mom, dad, don’t touch it…it’s EVIL!” And it’s ugly, too. I fly a lot out of DIA and have to drive by it often. Sheesh. P.S. That’s for starting this thread. I had meant to but never got around to it. I wanted to bring up the Devil Mustang and the Dancing Aliens. It’s somewhat gratifying to find out that other places have taste in public that’s just as bad–or worse!–as in the Denver area. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shockingly-ugly-public-art/472789.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shockingly-ugly-public-art/472789.md?page=3)